Is this really a Game?!

Reign's grip tightened on his swords as the man's words hung in the air. The calm confidence with which his opponent spoke sent a chill down his spine. The man's analysis was sharp, and Reign couldn't deny the truth in it. He and his team had risen through the ranks rapidly, facing powerful foes and overcoming immense challenges, but this man was something different.

He wasn't just a skilled warrior—he was a battle-hardened veteran with the kind of experience that only came from countless battles and years of honing his craft.

'Just how many battles has he gone through, how many foes have fallen prey to his sword, and how many years, how many decades has he spent honing his sword skills?' Reign asked himself as he stared at the swordsman with slight apprehension.

The swordsman's aura expanded, radiating a sense of mastery and control that seemed to envelop the entire battlefield. Reign could feel it pressing down on him as if the man's mere presence was a weapon in itself. Every step the swordsman took was measured, and deliberate, and Reign knew that he was up against a formidable enemy who had no intention of underestimating him.

"I've seen fighters like you before," the swordsman continued, his tone almost conversational. "Young, talented, brimming with potential. But there's a difference between potential and mastery. You're strong, but you lack refinement."

Reign's eyes blazed with determination. "Maybe, but potential can't be measured by past experience alone. It's also about adaptability, and the willingness to push beyond limits."

The swordsman smiled faintly. "Words of a young man who has not seen what this damned life has in store for all of us." Find more to read at empire

Without further warning, the man surged forward with a speed that was almost impossible to track. His longsword moved with a fluidity that made it seem as though the blade was a natural extension of his body. Reign barely managed to deflect the first strike, feeling the power behind the attack resonate through his arms.

The force of the blow pushed him back a step, and before he could recover, the swordsman was already following up with another swift strike, then another, each one aimed with surgical precision.

Reign found himself on the defensive, forced to rely on his speed and reflexes to keep up. His light and darkness swirled around him, forming barriers and counterattacks, but the swordsman seemed to anticipate every move. Reign's dual energy attacks, which had overwhelmed so many others, were met with effortless parries and counters that left him reeling.

It was as if the man could see through every feint and adjustment, predicting his movements with chilling accuracy.

"Is that all?" the swordsman asked, his voice calm even as his blade slashed toward Reign's throat.

Reign ducked under the strike and retaliated with a burst of darkness-infused energy, aiming to blind his opponent and create an opening. But the swordsman danced through the shadows, his movements unhindered. He twisted his body gracefully, avoiding the attack while delivering a powerful kick that sent Reign skidding across the platform.

The impact rattled Reign, but he refused to give in. He pushed himself to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth as he glared at his opponent. "You're underestimating us," Reign said, his voice laced with defiance. "We may be young, but that just means we're willing to take risks you'd never even consider."

The swordsman's expression remained unreadable, but there was a flicker of interest in his eyes. "Risks are meaningless if they lead to defeat. But show me what you're willing to gamble."

Reign gritted his teeth and decided it was time to change tactics. His light and darkness flared simultaneously, creating a dazzling and disorienting display as he charged forward. Instead of a straightforward attack, Reign blurred in and out of view, using his speed to strike from multiple angles in rapid succession.

The battlefield became a swirl of light and shadow as Reign's swords flashed through the air, aiming to overwhelm his opponent with sheer unpredictability.

The swordsman's eyes narrowed as he adjusted his stance. He didn't try to match Reign's speed; instead, he focused on precision. His sword moved with minimal effort, deflecting each of Reign's strikes with pinpoint accuracy. It was like trying to break through an impenetrable wall.

Every attack Reign threw was met with a counter that seemed almost effortless, and the more he pushed, the more he realized that the swordsman was not just skilled—he was a master of defense, conserving energy and exploiting weaknesses with ruthless efficiency.

Reign's frustration grew as the battle dragged on. His opponent was toying with him, allowing him to exhaust himself while barely breaking a sweat. The swordsman's earlier words echoed in his mind: experience and patience. The man wasn't wrong. Reign could feel the gap between them in terms of pure combat experience, and it was glaring.

But giving up wasn't an option. Reign's eyes sharpened as he decided to take a calculated risk. He allowed his light and darkness to merge fully, creating a volatile, swirling mass of energy that surged outward in an explosive burst. The sudden change in pressure forced the swordsman to take a step back, giving Reign the opening he needed.

He moved forward, aiming to hit the man with everything he had, to strike him with the full force of his light and darkness, only to suddenly widen his eyes in shock, and fear.

A sword light flashed, and his attack was destroyed.

His swords were pushed back.

A deep gash appeared next to his neck, and he stopped, frozen in shock. In fact, the entire battlefield was now silent, everybody frozen in fear as they stared at the man who stood before Reign.

Those who wielded swords and blades were worse off than others, they were staring at the man, at the intangible energy around him, as well as the aura shrouding him, one that made them tremble slightly.

"You … I was wondering how it was possible." Reign suddenly said as he stared at the man with a weak smile.

"Your stats, it made no sense."

"You never activated a mark, and yet, somehow, you were able to match my speed, even go above it at times … your strength as well."

The man faintly smiled at Reign and nodded his head.

"You have finally understood it, have you?"

"Yes, that light, that aura … you reached Rank Z in your swordsmanship, haven't you?"

"Correct … and from what I can see, you are not in as much shock as the others … you have seen someone do the same, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I most certainly have." Reign said as he suddenly stood up while the man looked at him before glancing around.

"The only one who can be deemed as a worthy adversary for me in terms of skill here is you." The man said as he stared at Jin who stared back at him before cranking his neck and moving toward him.

"I can sense it, those like us, who have reached such a high mastery in pure skill can sense each other." The man stated as he stared at Jin who walked toward him before stopping and smirking.

"Apologies, as much as I would love to battle against you … it seems my nephew has not had enough to quit yet," Jin stated as the swordsman sighed.

"It seems like it."

"Son, go back, I will deal with that man." Jin suddenly said as he appeared next to Shadow who was not in the best condition.

The enemy he was fighting against was weaker than Reign's opponent, but not by a lot. Even if his proficiency wasn't Rank Z, it had to be at least Rank SSS, he was just that strong.

"Only a bit of time remains, are you guys certain you wish to hold back?" Jin asked the man in front of him who smirked as he held his tonfas. Suddenly, a mark started shining on his shoulder, and the same happened with Jin, who was finally using the mark he had gained after a long time of not using it.

"Be warned, even I have still not managed to fully control this power," Jin said as his aura rose higher and higher.

"What else can you show me that could somehow allow you to win?" The swordsman asked Reign as he stared at him.

"I have a mark like you, you know?"

"Just what can you hope to accomplish in this battle after I decide to activate it?"

"Let me show you." Reign said with a bloodthirsty smile before his aura spiked.

Light and darkness exploded around him, causing the entire platform to tremble, the throne to shake slightly, the entire area to fall under an oppressive power that shouldn't be possible in the realm that all the combatants were in.

"So you truly did have something, a hidden ace, huh?" The swordsman asked in slight surprise before chuckling and activating his own mark.

And when he did that, the entire platform started shaking even more violently as his aura rose to almost match Reign's aura.